I miss the internet

Well it’s been a few weeks now and I still don’t have the internet. My shops have practically come to a standstill. ToastRack is going nowhere and Random Quirks is hanging on for dear life. I think I may have sorted it out though. Thanks to my handy pen drive I have started to save all my shop stuff on there so I can list new items at uni. So keep a look out at my shops, just listed a new Random Quirks item today.

With the stall, I had a good run but had to stop a week or two ago due to my work starting to pile up. Lots of term papers due in soon. The cool thing is that sitting at that stall over those weeks gave me loads of time to make new products for Random Quirks. I’ve photographed them all now so they will be coming up over the next few weeks. Especially necklaces, I made lots of necklaces.

I’ve also decided to expand my jewellery range and start making key chains after I successfully made an awesome one for myself. Plus it will give a use to all those random Barbie shoes I have stored.

Also, Halloween though awhile ago now, was awesome. I went as the Wicked Witch of the East from the Wizard of Oz - the one where the house falls on her. I wore red shoes, stripy tights, a plain dress where I had painted a house on it, and a roof on my head I fashioned out of some cardboard and a hairband. The picture isn't a really good one but it is the only full length one I had. It was a really good night :)

This weekend is my last free weekend as I will be starting my job at Bench on the 22^nd. So I’m going to do a test run to the store to see how long it will take to get there, especially since I will have to take two buses. I’ve bribed peanut breath to come with me by promising mini golf and a nice meal. Woo, coupons!

I’m trying to get as much uni work done before my job as possible so we’ll have to see how that works out. In fact, I should really be working now…bye

MIA

This week I have been MIA. Ill with what turned out to be the weirdest cold/flu I ever had. Symptoms seem to be taking it in turns to make me feel horrible. Once one has had it's fun with me, it leaves me alone only for another one to take its place. Ah well, it seems to be on its way out now :). So that means I can head back to uni on Monday.

This coming week is going to an exciting one with lots going on. As well as getting back to civilisation and out of my bed, I am moving my stuff to Manchester tomorrow to hold in my friend's house til moving day which is on Thursday! :) I can't wait. And also I get to go see an awesome comedian, Michael McIntyre on Monday :D He is amazingly funny and I really can't wait. So it's gonna be fun.

Also, I went to a recruitment day for Christmas temps for the fashion brand Bench. And I got the job! My first proper job that isn't just work experience/internships/one-offs. Woo :) The clothes aren't really my thing and a lot of chav's have taken over the brand but they've got a new range coming out which I think is really cool. I know what my uniform is going to be :) Plus it's a Manchester brand which is key for me because I really want to stay in Manchester after i graduate again. I start at the end of November so that's something to look forward to.

Coming home for the weekend, I have been reunited with some more new supplies I ordered for Random Quirks but I am still in need of some jump rings so the making of new products will have to wait until I get back to Manchester. This is going to be an awesome week :)

Just a quickie

Had to show you the photos from my stall at my university's student union. Looks like my table threw up a rainbow :). I've been doing the stall for two weeks now (4 times) and have sold 10 items so I'm really pleased seeing as it's a hell of a lot more than I usually sell. It's cool because it's free to have a table there and it's nice to see the people who buy your items. I've booked next week as well and can't wait. To celebrate, I bought some more supplies :D I lurve new supplies, they give me inspiration.

Also, my sterling silver ear wires arrived so I can start making the transfer from silver plated to sterling silver for Random Quirks. Hopefully this will encourage more customers, fingers crossed. Also I got my parents to get me a bunch of t-shirts while they were in the states, so I can paint some to put on my stall next week hopefully :) Then Toast Rack can get a look in too.

Ooh, I saw Zombieland with the bf last night. It was awesome, and slightly cheaper thanks to the coupons I got from the Fresher's Fair. I really liked the film and highly recommend it for anyone who likes comedy and zombies. :)

Marketing, stalls and imprisonment

Well, another week almost gone. Have started actual uni lectures now and the assignments look scary, oooh. At least I get to tell people I'm a post-grad :D Have been neglecting the shop and my blog slightly but have been doing some work with Random Quirks. More on that in a minute.

So I lost my flat keys on Monday, I don't know where they are but luckily someone was there to let me in. And oddly enough, my room has 2 doors, one leading into the bathroom so thats how I managed to get into my room. I decided since it was late to wait until the next day to do something about it. Bad choice. I forgot that people lock the front door behind them and so when me and my bf got up to go to uni for 9am, I realised we were locked in. My flatmate does shift work for a hospital so wouldn't be back for hours. Basically I missed a day of lectures, and so did my bf. Sorry peanut breath. Anyway, everything's all cool now and I've got a new set of keys apart from for my room but thats no problem :)

I'm just so glad that didn't happen on Wednesday otherwise I probably would have cried. Because that was the day I had a stall at MMU union for Random Quirks. I was there from 10am til 4pm and had a really good time. I only sold 4 items but I was the only stall there and lots of people stopped to look. I made a reasonable amount of money from it so I was satisfied and happy. Will show you the photos I took next week probably because I don't have access to the adapter that transfers my photos to my laptop. Even if I hadn't sold anything I would have been happy that I have some new stuff to put on my etsy shop. I have about 20 new pieces.

I enjoyed it so much that I'm going to do it again tomorrow, and then next week on Wednesday and Friday. My position in the union will be right next to the main door tomorrow as well as there being other stalls there so we'll see if that makes a difference. I can't wait :)

Plus, my parents are coming to see me on Saturday. :) We're going to go for lunch at Nandos, nom. It'll be really great to see them because its been about three weeks since I saw them. They will also be bringing a few more bits and pieces with me so I'll be able to start listing new stuff for Random Quirks again.

Now, off to make some microwave noodles :D

Back in Manchester

Well, I have almost finished my first week back in Manchester and I have been loving it. I got to move into my temporary accommodation on Tuesday and I have had my induction for my course. There are 25 of us spread across three courses. We all do the same thing in the first term, a taster of all three courses, then we specialise in the second term, and then do our dissertations.

Though I have been completely busy this week, I have managed to set something up for Random Quirks. I have always noticed in the Student Union for my uni that there are small stalls selling bits and pieces, clothes usually. So on Thursday when I was in there with my friends, I asked what you have to do to get a stall. Apparently since I'm a student, its free! So I called them up yesterday and RandomQuirks has a stall at the Manchester Metropolitan University next Wednesday!

The only obstacle in my way is that with my suitcase, I only brought my merchandise that is on the website, nothing to make new items. So I got my brother to pack my kit in a bag and post it for next day delivery to my friends house. I'll be seeing her tonight so she said she'd bring it. So I'm going to be a busy bee trying to make enough stuff for a stall for Wednesday. I'm so happy and can't wait. I reckon if it goes well, then I'll make it a regular thing and even add my Toast Rack items to the mix.

The other great thing about being back in Manchester is seeing my friends, making new ones and best of all I'm reunited with my bf. We're going into town today before we go out with friends tonight :) Hope everyone has had a good week :)

On the move

Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go. My circumstances changed yet again, so now I'm going to be renting somewhere for a month after all. Luckily, my friend's old landlady will take me for a month in a good location so thats great. I can take a bigger suitcase (the tank) and I'm staying with my friend tonight so should hopefully be getting sorted soon. The only problem with taking a bigger suitcase is that it's bigger and heavier to carry around.

I'm going to be travelling across the country by train, with one change of train, with a large heavy suitcase, a bulky plastic bag, a sleeping bag and my shoulder bag which will be carrying my laptop. Now, I'm not a particularly big or strong girl so this will be a huge challenge.

The station I'm changing at, Doncaster, has lots of stairs. I can't lift this suitcase with only one hand. Please please please let there be lifts. And thank god I have 20 minutes to get to the next platform.

I'm bringing my Random Quirks merchandise and a mini shipping kit with me so I can carry on posting if I get any sales. Depending on my internet situation, it may be harder to get now items up, but I will definitely keep re-listing. I have also brought my fabric paints with me, so orders for ToastRack will still be able to go through.

Anyway, I must say even though I have a incredibly heavy suitcase, I managed to fit in a months worth of stuff in it :) My secret? I only put 2 weeks worth of clothes in there and hope my place will have a washing machine. If not, I'm gonna have to do my washing at my bf's halls, heh.

Righty then, must be off. Got to chuck a few bits and pieces in my shoulder bag and head off to my death by lugging my possessions across the county.

What a rollercoaster of a few days

So last you left me, I was waiting to find out about my friends house where I will be living this year. Well, where do I begin? First, it was delayed by a month, which isn't very good seeing as I start uni on monday. So, I couldn't stay with my boyfriend and had to find somewhere for a month. The search began. It was 3 days of stress and sleepless nights where I was homeless, then not homeless, then homeless again.

Yesterday I found some good news that it would only be delayed by 2 weeks. In a way that made it harder to find somewhere. And it was too long a time for my bf to put me up. So what did I do? I cried. I cried and I cried. You've got to feel sorry for my bf who was on the phone to me at the time. Crying made me feel loads better though and I texted my friend who I'm going to be living with and she said I can stay at her family home for a bit which is on the outskirts of Manchester. So the problem is solved, I'm going to Manchester on Sunday to stay with her until late next week when I will go and stay with my bf for a few days. Hopefully by the end of that, the house will be ready and we can move in.

Now, being who I am and being on the move constantly, I am very good at packing. But having to pack a small pully bag for 2 weeks, is going to be an exciting challenge. I do have a very large pully suitcase which I nicknamed "The Tank", but since I'm going to be travelling by train and staying in 2 different places, one of them being a hall of residence, there won't be any room for it. So stay tuned for: Can a fashion student fit 2 weeks worth of clothes in a small bag? We shall see how that turns out :)

So now I can get excited that I start uni on Monday :D I feel so much better now. Things are looking good. Random Quirks views are really up now :). Quite a few views are coming from Twitter as well. I realised that I'm running low on new items and since I don't know what to do with my current supplies, I bought some fresh new ones. I'm inspired.

I also decided to upgrade the earring hooks to sterling silver in a hope that that will encourage more sales, so fingers crossed. I won't be able to make any new items or switch the earring hooks until I'm all moved into the house, so it will be a couple of weeks. I can't wait :)